Where do you pluck the strings and why?

[dave64o]

WHERE? *Very* generally speaking, probably 4-ish. Although it can vary depending on which bass I'm playing

WHY? It's not a conscious or deliberate thing, it's just where my hand seems to go automatically. If I want a different tone, then I consciously move my plucking hand and continue focusing on keeping it there, whether it's closer to the fingerboard or closer to the bridge. As soon as I lose focus, I tend to go right back to my "default" position.

 

[Stewie]

On my fretless Precision I play anywhere from an inch or so above the bridge to a few inches below my finger on the fretboard depending on what tone I'm looking for. On upright, from the octave to the high A an the E string( I can tell by the wear on the fingerboard) The closer I get to the bridge, the louder it gets.

 

[JRA]

What’s your preference and why?

mostly/maybe: between 2 to 8ish.
but always: between -8 to +8ish

i'm all over the distance between my left-hand stops and the bridge pickup. it's for tones and feel --- subject to the tune and where we are in the tune and what we're doing in the tune at that moment.

 

[bassdude51]

Most of the time it is the "Goldilocks" spot. (about right where a P pickup sits). Why? Generally speaking, it is the best all around sounding spot.

Pluck right off the end of the neck for that traditional smooth and deep bass sound.

Pluck about one inch off the bridge saddles for that aggressive "barking" sound for rock or progressive jazz.

Isn't it amazing how the plucking spot can have such a dramatic effect on sound? Cheaper than any effects pedal.

 

[Ringhammer]

Having favored Jazz basses, and faster finger playing in the past, the habit was to rest my thumb on the bridge pickup and play around the “8” position. Later I found the tone to be too thin, but to play while resting my thumb on the neck pickup, I found I had less string control due to too much flexibility in the string. So, I stated putting a thumb rest in between the two pickups:

This puts my fingers right about the “6-7” position, right where the strings have some stiffness, but a noticeably better tone than when closer to the bridge. I started doing this back in the 90’s and now it’s a crutch. I don’t play the fast fingering type music much anymore, but I rely on that thumb rest as an indexing or reference as a place to always land my right hand. And since I play a more varied style of rock now, I tend to play the string where I can get the sound I need for whatever the song (or part) calls for. Since I have also become fond of adding a bridge P-bass pickup to my P-Basses, it puts that thumb rest/landing zone that I’ve become reliant on right where I need it:

 

[Jay2U]

Depends on the bass I'm playing.

The tone of the P-Bass is a direct result of where it's being strummed.
The G&L L-2000 has two pickups and a lot of tonal possibilities, so I mostly pluck it at the neck pickup.
I strung my old Ibanez B, E, A, D. It has two pickups that can be blended in any ratio. I mostly strum it at the neck pickup, but I like to hit the B string at the bridge pickup, in order to make the tone match the tone of the other strings.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

P-bass (single pickup style) 7/10
J-bass (or any 2 pickup bass) 6/10 [between neck and bridge pickups]
Stingray style 4 or 5/10

 

[Crazy_Jake]

Depends on the tone I am looking for of course but on my jazz bass I find the best tone for most situations is right between the two pickups. I have had my "guitar guy" put a small finger rest right in that spot.

 

[Joebone]

All over! I tend to think of four different locations, for different timbre and effect, depending on the tune or groove:

- Over the the fretboard, around the 18th - 20th fret

- Just beyond where the fretboard ends

- Just past the bridge-side edge of my neck pickup. This is where I play when setting eq, and is the position I use the most.

- around the bridge-side edge of my bridge pickup. Will sometimes adjust eq, when in this zone, to get more "Jaco snot" into the tone.

Also will choose soft thumb, fingers, or thumb slap - same reasons.

 

[Crash 56]

right between the pickups... I don't know what I'll do if I ever get a single pickup bass!

 

[40Hz]

Depends on the bass and the song. But I’m usually found playing anywhere between the 17th fret and the bridge most times. I’ll also move around during your individual songs. So I don’t have any hard fast rule other than to do whatever it takes to make it sound good.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Generally here.......6 or 7?....

...for a tighter,quick response and the "Jaco"burp.

 

[Pilgrim]

I mostly pluck over the top pickup, or the single pickup if it's a one-pickup bass. Almost never near the bridge. I will pluck over the end of the fretboard to soften the attack and smooth the sound if needed.

 

[Mastermold]

I pluck my bass in secret.

 

[Kmonk]

It depends on the sound I need. I play my Jazz bass more then my Precision. I usually rest my thumb on the neck pickup and pluck slightly to the bridge side. If I want a thinner sound, I move toward the bridge. If I want a deeper sound, I move toward the neck. Sometimes, I pluck over the fretboard at around the 20th fret. It really depends on the sound I want. If I play me Precision, I rest my thumb on the pickup and pluck slightly to the bridge side.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Always right over the bridge pup, never care much for the sound of a neck pup.

 

[FingerDub]

You play where it feels comfortable. If that's off the beaten path of a standard Precision or standard Jazz then find the bass that fits your playing style. I tent to play bases that naturally accommodate my plucking hand instead of trying to force it.

 

[JGbassman]

I tend to spend most of my time with my thumb anchored directly to the rear of the pickup on the bridge side. Thst is my sweet spot balancing tone, tension, and string spacing for me.

I will play over the pickups using it as a ramp of sorts, but the strings get a little too mushy there for my tastes. I honestly never play up by the neck, the strings are way to floppy for me there.

 

[OogieWaWa]

Oh, great, now I'll have to look!

Seriously, I don't even think about it; by now if I want tonal, volume or attack changes I just do whatever it takes for my bass. And our band covers a lot of musical styles and we're very dynamic. The bass knob is always all the way up, and I set the treble knob at the beginning of each song. Nothing else needed.

I've got quite a few other instruments, but I only have ever used my L2000 for six years now for band specific practice, rehearsal and playing out. The others are just for messing around with. So you could say we're kind of merged or melded by now, I guess. It just happens. Not that I didn't try a ton of stuff before it got that way, mind you.

So unless it's something I want light and tinny, then I'll go very close to the bridge; but that's the only thing conscious needed, the rest is autopilot.

 

[ZGotts]

It's become my tone knob, and its totally subconscious at this point. From over the board to right up on the bridge. I find this to be one of the most useful techniques on electric bass.... mid-song, just move an inch or two either way until it sounds right.